Date：2021-10-20 - 2022-02-15
Location：No.3 Exhibition Hall, 4F
The State of E was rarely mentioned in historical records and had long been buried in oblivion. In 2007, when archaeologists excavated a tomb of the early Western Zhou Dynasty in Mount Yangzi of Suizhou, Hubei province, the history of E, having been obscured in the long passage of three thousand years, gained public attention.
A significant batch of bronzes were unearthed from the tomb of Mount Yangzi. The pieces are not only fine artefacts with exotic patterns and exquisite designs but also symbols of nobility for their inscription of "The Marquis of E," which, together with the large number of the funerary objects, shows the identity of the tomb owner. The tomb's discovery brought the long-lost State of E back to the field of historical studies. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the states of E and Zeng coexisted in the east of the Han River valley. In the mid to late Western Zhou Dynasty, E was elevated to distinction through intermarriage with the royal family. However, in the late Western Zhou, Yufang, the Marquis of E, led a rebellion with the Eastern Yi and Southern Huai Yi tribes against the Zhou, which resulted only in the annihilation of E itself. In 2012, a cemetery was found at a site of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in Xiaxiangpu, Nanyang, Henan province, from which a remarkable batch of bronzes were unearthed. Many pieces bear inscriptions that show the identities of the tomb owners, such as the Marquis of E. In this cemetery of nobles dated from the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn Period, four marquises of E and their spouses were interred. Its discovery evoked heated debates, making E the focus of public attention once again.
The Shanghai Museum holds this exhibition to unravel the mystery of the history of E. It has borrowed 57 pieces of selected bronze ware from the National Museum of China, the Suizhou Museum, the Zhengzhou Museum, the Nanyang City Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, and some private collection. For their trust and help, the Museum remains grateful. With all these and the Museum's own collection, the first assembly ever of E bronze ware from the early Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn Period has become a reality. Through the exhibits and their inscriptions, the exhibition delineates the complete evolution of E's bronze art and depicts the state's true presence in history. It is hoped that our viewers will be enjoying an unforgettable experience of history and art of ancient times. They will thereby know more about the long past of our country and entertain a deeper love for its glorious civilization.
